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NYFA Hosts SAIS Women's Alumni Travel and Storytelling Panel

This article was originally published on January 25, 2017 on the New York Film Academy blog.

The New York Film Academy hosted a unique and riveting Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Women’s Alumni (SWAN) event at its New York campus at Battery Park last week. The “Travel and Storytelling” event featured a panel of six SAIS Alumni.

“We are so thrilled and honored to collaborate with SAIS Women’s Alumni Network of Johns Hopkins University,” said NYFA’s Senior Executive Vice President, David Klein. “SWAN’s focus on international relations and humanitarian efforts across the globe so closely align with our mission.”

This panel was the first in a two-part series on a topic that is close to many SAISers — how travel has impacted careers — as well as the art of storytelling.

The featured panelists were:

“We have really fantastic relationship that we built with NYFA, and hope to continue to build in the future,” said SAIS alumna Sarah McGrath, who provided the opening remarks for the evening.

Cyndi Freeman, a two-time NY Fringe Festival award-winning solo performer and storyteller with 20 years of experience, was the facilitator for the evening. Freeman’s shows have been presented in Boston, Amsterdam, Ireland, The UK and NYC. Some other credits of hers include “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central, “Campus Comedy” on HBO, and “Compromising Situations” on Showtime.

“I’m in love with storytelling,” said Freeman. I believe it’s in how you choose to tell the story that shows who you are.” 

Beginning with Karen Seiger, SAIS alumni panelists shared their stories about how the ability to travel — as well as their personal travel experiences — has had an effect on their professional decisions and career paths.

Attendees of NYFA students and SAIS alumni also had the opportunity to respond to the panelists’ short, exciting, effective stories, as well as share their own with the audience.

About the Author: Frank Pasquine

Frank Pasquine is an award-winning screenwriter, freelance writer, and Alumni & Event Correspondent at the New York Film Academy. His work has been featured on ABC's Good Morning America, Rotten Tomatoes, ScreenRant, Paste Magazine and more. He's currently developing TV and film projects for producers in NYC and LA.